KNIGHTS KNOTES — July 1, 2019
KNIGHT LIGHTS: The Charlotte Knights wrapped up their three-game series against the Norfolk Tides yesterday with a 6–1 loss. Charlotte won one of three games in the series. The Knights also won their May 5th suspended game by a score of 10–3, which was resumed and completed on Friday in Norfolk. Despite their loss yesterday, the Knights have won eight of their last 12 games. The Knights open a three-game series tonight in Durham, NC against the Durham Bulls before heading back to BB&T Ballpark on Thursday, July 4 for a four-game series against the Norfolk Tides.
ABOUT LAST KNIGHT: The Knights recorded just four hits on Sunday afternoon and fell to the Norfolk Tides in the finale of their three-game series by a score of 6–1. LHP Héctor Santiago allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings and was saddled with the loss. IL All-Star Connor Walsh pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
KNIGHTS VS. BULLS: The Knights and Bulls have played nine of their 11 head-to-head games this season at BB&T Ballpark. Tonight, the Knights will play just their third game of the season in Durham, NC in 2019. The Knights are 5–6 overall this season against the Bulls. The Knights enter today’s opener 4.0 games back of the first place Bulls in the IL South.
JUNE BOOM: For the month of June, the Knights recorded 40 home runs as a team (tied for the fifth highest in the IL in June with Pawtucket). Only Columbus (55), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (53), Durham (47), and Syracuse (41), hit more home runs as a team in June. Their 40 home runs included six each from C Seby Zavala and OF Daniel Palka, as well as five each from OF Adam Engel, OF Paulo Orlando, and 1B Matt Skole. Last year, the Knights combined to hit 21 home runs in June.
SIX-STRAIGHT: Catcher Yermín Mercedes extended his hit streak to six consecutive games yesterday and is now hitting .458 (11-for-24) with two home runs and seven RBIs for the Knights in seven games since being promoted from Double-A Birmingham on June 20. He launched two home runs on Thursday to help power the Charlotte Knights to an 8–5 win over the Gwinnett Stripers. The two home runs were his first two at the Triple-A level and it was the fourth multi-homer game of his career.
TO-KNIGHTS STARTING PITCHER: RHP Dylan Covey (0–0, 2.20), who is currently on the Chicago White Sox 10-day Injured List with right shoulder inflammation, will make his second rehab start tonight for the Charlotte Knights. Covey, 27, was added to Charlotte’s roster on June 26 and started that night for the Knights. He tossed two innings that day at BB&T Ballpark against the Gwinnett Stripers (ND, 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO). Before his rehab appearance last week, he appeared in nine games (seven starts) this season with the White Sox and posted a 1–4 record with a 4.58 ERA (37.1 IP). He also made five appearances (three starts) for the Knights in April and went 0–0 with a 2.51 ERA (14.1 IP).
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WHO’S HOT: Over his last 10 games, INF Alcides Escobar is hitting .350 (14-for-40) with six runs scored, two home runs, and 11 RBIs… Over his last four games, INF Iván De Jesús Jr. is hitting .357 (5-for-14) with one run scored, and two RBIs… RHP Jimmy Cordero has not allowed a run over his last four appearances (5.0 IP)… LHP Justin Nicolino (6–3, 4.65) tossed a complete-game win on Friday in the opener of the team’s series against the Norfolk Tides to lead the Knights to a 4–3 victory. Nicolino tossed the second complete game of the season by a Knights pitcher (7.0 IP) and first since LHP Ross Detwiler (6.0 IP loss on June 2). Over his last two starts, he has gone 15 innings and has two wins to show for it (2–0, 4.20 ERA). Nicolino has now won five of his last seven starts with the Knights.
FIRST TRIPLE-A HOMER: INF Trey Michalczewski was promoted to the Knights from Double-A Birmingham on June 28 and made his Triple-A debut in the suspended game (May5). He hit his first Triple-A home run in that game (May 5). Of course, Michalczewski was on the Barons when the game began on May 5. Overall, he appeared in 48 games with the Double-A Barons this season and hit .208 (31-for-149) with 13 runs scored, nine doubles, two home runs, and 14 RBIs. He was originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft.
FROM THE SOUTH TO THE SOUTH SIDE: In all, the Knights have promoted 17 players to the Chicago White Sox this season. Those players, in order of their promotion(s) to Chicago: RHP Carson Fulmer (April 8, April 18, May 28, & June 19), LHP Josh Osich (April 12), OF Ryan Cordell (April 18), OF Nicky Delmonico (April 22), LHP Aaron Bummer (April 28), RHP Thyago Vieira (April 28, May 1, May 22, & June 9), RHP Dylan Covey (April 30), RHP Evan Marshall (May 1), RHP Juan Minaya (May 5), LHP Caleb Frare(May 5), OF Charlie Tilson (May 6), RHP José Ruiz (May 17 & May 28), C Seby Zavala (May 25), RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (June 10), C Zack Collins (June 17), OF Daniel Palka (June 28), and LHP Ross Detwiler (June 28)
